Pelosi Backs Off Set Rates for Public Option  —  WASHINGTON — Under pressure from moderate-to-conservative members of the House Democratic caucus, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to propose a government-run insurance plan that would negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals …

Obama Visits Returning War Dead  —  President Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base early Thursday morning to meet with family members and pay his respects as the flag-draped coffins carrying bodies of 18 American troops killed this week in Afghanistan were returned to the United States.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: THIRD QUARTER 2009 (ADVANCE ESTIMATE)  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009, (that is …

Nervous W.H. intervened in N.J. race; top Obama adviser now in charge  —  One of President Barack Obama's key political advisers has become the central strategist in New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's bruising campaign for re-election, a race the White House desperately wants to win to avert …

Iran Seeks Changes to Nuclear Deal  —  Iran has formally asked for changes to an International Atomic Energy Agency proposal to ship nuclear fuel out of Iran for reprocessing abroad.  —  The response represents a setback in attempts by the international community to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

Iowa Republicans wince at Palin fee  —  A conservative Iowa group's effort to lure Sarah Palin to its banquet next month has had an unintended effect: Rather than exciting conservatives about the prospect of a visit from the former Alaska governor, the group's plan to raise a six-figure sum …

Victory for Obama Over Military Lobby  —  When the Obama administration proposed canceling a host of expensive weapons systems last spring, some of the military industry's allies in Congress assumed, as they had in the past, that they would have the final say.

It's all a big circle for the Democrats  —  Senator John Kerry seems to be emerging as President Obama's go-to person for foreign policy advice on critical issues.  This must be rather galling for Vice President Biden and especially Secretary of State Clinton.

Politicians Butt In at Bailed-Out GM  —  Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg was no fan of the $58 billion federal rescue of General Motors Co., saying he worried taxpayer money would be wasted and the restructuring process would be vulnerable to “political pressure.”  Now the lawmaker says it's his “patriotic duty” to wade into GM's affairs.

DNC attacks Palin ‘lies’  —  The Democratic National Committee, keeping up its drumbeat of harsh new-media campaigns against GOP leaders, is rallying Democrats to attack Sarah Palin where she communicates — on Facebook.  —  In an email to its list (after the jump) and a web page …

Police: SC state attorney caught with stripper  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — A deputy assistant attorney general who said he was on his lunch break when an officer found him with a stripper and sex toys in his sport utility vehicle has been fired, his boss said Wednesday.

Stimulus jobs overstated by thousands  —  WASHINGTON — An early progress report on President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan overstates by thousands the number of jobs created or saved through the stimulus program, a mistake that White House officials promise will be corrected in future reports.

Shooting at North Hollywood synagogue investigated as hate crime; man detained [Updated]  —  A gunman approached a North Hollywood synagogue this morning and shot two people before fleeing, according to police, who are investigating the attack as a hate crime.

How bad should I feel about taking hot showers?  —  I know that taking long, hot showers is an environmental no-no. But now that the weather's getting colder, I just can't face the day without one.  Exactly how much damage am I doing to the planet?  —  Guilt is a tricky thing to quantify.

Gates, Crowley Spotted Together In Cambridge Bar  —  CAMBRIDGE (WBZ) ― Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley were spotted at a pub in Cambridge Wednesday night.  —  The owner of “River Gods” told WBZ the two sat in a booth together and talked for about an hour.